Cloth-finishing machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. E. SMITH.

. CLOTH FINISHING MACHINE,

No. 249,859. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

l'nvemZZrw 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. SMITH.

OLOTH FINISHING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

No. 249,859. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

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N. PETERS. Pholo-Lithographur. Washingflm 0. c.

Unrrn STATES PATENT CLOTH-FINISHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,859, dated November22, lSl,

Application filed April 29, 1881-. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J. HARPER SnrrH, acitizenof the United States, residing at Rarita-n, in the county of Somersetand State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cloth-Finishing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that class of machines for cutting figures ordesigns upon cloth in which a relief-pattern upon arevolvingclothsupporting roller projects the surface of the cloth tomeet the cutters. its object is to produce upon the cloth clearly-cut,accurate, and uniform designs by projecting into the path of revolvingcutters only a surface of the cloth precisely corresponding to thepattern, and by feeding the cloth over the pattern-roller at anunvarying speed, and to enable the cutting of closed designs composed ofboth transverse and longitudinal or diagonal lines as accurately uponwide or double-width as upon narrow or single-width cloths.

In some machines of this class as heretofore constructed, so great asurface of the cloth has been brought into the near vicinity of thecutters, on account of the comparatively large diameter of thepattern-roller, that often portions of the nap contiguous to the patternwould be cut away, giving the design a ragged uneven appearance. Inothers the cloth has been bent over a very small roller of woodinclosing a metal core tapering from the center toward the ends; butthis small roller'did not obtain by this construction the requiredstiffness, although provided with asupporting-roll. I 0bviate thisdisadvantage by arranging over the supporting-roller a casing which alsoincloses a portion of the pattern-roller, sustains the sides thereof,and serves as a guard to prevent contact of the cloth with saidsupporting or bracing roller, and also to guide the cloth at the properangles to and from the patternroller. The small pattern-roller and itsbracing-roller have heretofore been directly supported only at theirends, and in a machine for cutting designs upon wide or double-widthcloth these rollers are so long in proportion to their diameter thattheir middle portions are liable to yield laterally to a very lightpressure, and also to become warped, so that the surface of thepattern-roller is not maintained in the same position with respect tothe cutter at-all parts of its revolution, and therefore the design iscut at varyingdepths, and often portions of the surface of the clothwhich should be cutaway are left untouched. I remedy this defect byarranging under the bracing-roller, at short intervals of its length, aseries of adjustable bearing-rollers, whereby it may be maintained withits axis in a true rectilinear position, so that its surface will evenlybrace the pattern-roller throughout its length, and prevent its swayingat any point.

Another evil which has attended this class of machines has been theslipping of the cloth upon the pattern-roller, whereby the parts of thedesigns have become unevenly spaced, and this defect I overcome by soproportioning the size of the patternroller, its supporting-roller, andthe cloth drawingor feeding roller and their intermediate gearing thatthe circumferential travel of all these rollers shall be precisely thesame, and the connections positive between them, so that there is nopossibility of the cloth being stretched or failed at any point, or ofits slipping upon either of said rollers.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a Vertical tranverse section ofa machine constructed according to my invention. Fig.2 is a partialfront view of the same with a portion of the framein section, the guideor guard casing in this view being removed to show the central parts.Figs. 3 2111614: represent samples of cloth having designs cut by mymachine. Fig. 5 is a side view of the machine with some of thegearingrcmoved to show the bearings of shafts.

The letter A designates the pattern-roller, upon which are formed inrelief the patterns for the designs which are to be cut in the surfaceof the cloth. This roller has its ends journaled in standards A,supported by a bedplate, F, which is itself supported by a suitableframe-work, F.

Immediately above the patternroller, and parallel therewith, is arrangedthe cutter-roller B, provided with spiral cutting-blades I), this rollerbeing mounted in an adjustable frame, B, by which it may be moved towardor from the pattern-roller as desired. The lower end of said frame ishinged to the bed-plate F at b and the other is connected with the sidesF of the frame by means of bolts f, made preferably with a round head,entering a corresponding recess in the sides F to form balljointstherewith. The upper end of said bolts pass through the upper arms ofthe frame B and retain the latter rigidly, after being adjusted by meansof nuts f, placed upon the bolts f above and under said arms of theframe that supports the shaft ofthe cutter. The projecting shaft of thisrevolving cutter is provided with a belt-pulley, b.

Directly below the pattern-roller A, with its surface parallel and incontact therewith, is journaled .in boxes, adjustable vertically bymeans of washers or otherwise, the bracing or supporting roller 0, belowwhich are arranged, in pairs, the bearing-rollers D, which brace andmaintain the roller 0 in its true position. These bearing-rollers arejournaled in'blocks E, which rest upon the tips of adjustingscrews E,which are tapped through the bedplate F. The blocks E can also beadjusted laterally by the side screws, E The pairs of bearingrollers arearranged at short intervals of the length of the roller 0, so as toperfectly control the same as to its position.

The letter J indicates acasingtormed in two parts, adjustably secured bymeans of bolts J, passing through slots in the bottom flange thereof tothe bed-plate F, and inclosing the roller 0, its bearing-rollers, andthelower portion of the pattern-roller A, which revolves in alongitudinal slot formed in the top between the two halves of saidcasing, its upper portion projecting above the casing in order toreceive the cloth. The upper portions of the wall of the casingJ arecurved outwardly and down wardlyaway from the patternroller, and serveas guides upon which the cloth passes to and from said roller. Thiscasing extends the entire length of the rollers between the standards A.

The projecting end ol'theshaft ol'the patternroller has fixed upon it asmall gear-wheel, L, which meshes with a large gear-wheel, 0, upon theshaft of the supporting-roller C, and this shaft is also provided with asimilar gear-wheel, O, which meshes with a motion-transmittinggear-wheel, Gr, mounted in a slot in the bedplate and meshing withanother transmittingwhcel, G,journalcd below the bed-plate on a stud, g,projecting inwardly from the frame F. This wheel G meshes with a largergear-wheel, H, upon the shaft of the drawing or cloth-feeding roller I,which isjournaled in arms K, projecting forward from the frame below thelevel of the bed-plate. This drawing-roller Iis provided with projectingpoints, which engage with the cloth and move it forward in the directionindicated by the arrow 1. It will thus be understood that thepattern-roller and the cloth-feeding roller carrying gears upon theshafts thereof, and being constantly and uniformly rotated together bymeans of intermediate gears meshing, as shown in the drawings, saidgears beingproperly proportioned, the circum ferential travel of saidrollers will beat precisely the same speed.

TheletterMdenotesaledger-blade, arranged with its edge above and closeto the patternroller to hold the nap of the cloth in position to beproperly cut.

The letters N N designate guide-rollers for the cloth, which, in Fig. 1,is indicated by the letter P. The shaft of the drawing or feed roller isconnected with the driving-shaft ofthe machine, and may receive motionfrom any suitable source. This drivingshal't is shown in Fig. 5 at R,its driving-pulley being R. There is mounted upon said shaft adjoiningto the driving-pulley It a small pulley, R giving mo tion by means of abelt, 1", to a pulley, S, upon the shaft 8, and this shaft carries apinion, S, that gears with a large cog-wheel, H, upon one end of theshaft of the cloth-feeding roller I, giving a slow motion to the latter.A rapid motion is given to the revolving cutter B from a large pulley,R, on the driving-shaft R by means of a belt, 1*, passing overguide-pulleys t and around the pulley b upon one end of the revolvingcutter-sha ft. The cloth being drawn from a reel or receiver (not shown)is passed over the pattern-roller, as shown, and engaged with the pointsof the feed-roller. The tension upon the cloth is then so adjusted as todraw it tight enough upon the pattern-roller to cause the relief-patternto project a corresponding surface of the cloth outwardly beyond thegeneral surface of the same, and in a position to have its nap cut awayby the action ofthe cutter-blades 1) against the led ger-blade.

The pattern-roller, supported as above described, can be used incombination with a plain rotary cutter, a revolving cutter havingnotched blades, a notched ledger-blade, or a plain led ger-blade.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a machine forcutting figures or designs on cloth, the combination, with the pattern-roller of small diameter and its bracing roller, of the adjustablecasing J, to support the sides ofsaid pattern-roller and to guide thecloth steadily to and from said pattern-roller, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the pattern-roller and its bracing-roller, ofthe frameF and bearing-rollers D, and adjustable blocks E thereof,whereby the axles of said pattern and bracing rollers may be maintainedin true rectilinear position, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the pattern-roller A, its bracing-roller 0,adjustable casing, and the feed-roller I, of gears positively connectingsaid rollers, substantially as described, whereby the circumferentialtravel of all of said rollers will be precisely at the same speed, forthe purpose specified.

J. HARPER SMITH.

Witnesses: I

ADOLPH MACK, P. B. S'IRYKER.

